Soft Skills aren't so soft after all

The investment in developing soft skills and nurturing emotional intelligence pays off. According to a 2017 University of Michigan study, soft skills training boosts productivity and employee retention by 12%, and yields a 256% return on investment.

According to more than 11,000 business leaders surveyed in Deloitte’s 2018 Global Human Capital Trends report, future employees’ most sought-after talents won’t be purely technical skills. They will be “essentially human” soft skills like creativity, communication skills and adaptability.

Increasingly, employers are seeking candidates who possess greater soft skills than hard skills because, while it is easy for an employer to train a new employee in a hard skill (such as how to drive a forklift or use a software program), it is much more difficult to train an employee in a soft skill (such as teamwork).​- Mindfulness, Mindset, Moxie and Mojo. Michael R. Frazier

Organizations should primarily focus on acquiring the soft skills, attitudes and emotional intelligence that will help secure their vision and those that will embrace corporate core values/culture. If a skill can be trained, train it.​​A good starting point is Peak's Insight 360 and CoreMatch. ​

​Most job descriptions, resumes and subsequent job interviews focus on the work to be performed, or the hard skills required. It's often said that hard skills will get you the interview, but you need soft skills to get --and keep--the job. Work ethic, attitude, communication skills, mindset, emotional intelligence and the personal strengths honed and maintained, will be critical for career and life success.

You may have mastered the art of judging candidates' experience, education, talent or skills, but we doubt you spend a lot of time measuring soft skills prior to hire. ​

Employees that are self-motivated to think creatively, learn new skills, cope with the occasional flop or mega-flop, value feedback, are coachable and can function as a good teammate are critical to your success. Remember- attitudes will either enhance or undermine.

​Nearly half (46%) of hires fail within the first 18 months on the job, according to a survey of managers by Leadership IQ. The reasons, according to the managers surveyed:

26% fail because they can’t accept feedback

23% can’t control emotions

17% aren’t motivated to succeed

15% have the wrong temperament or work style for the company’s environment, and

only 11% fail because they lack the necessary technical skills. ​

As employers continue to shift from singular job roles to job rotation and flexible job descriptions, adaptability will also continue to rise as a much sought-after soft skill. For good reason, flexibility/adaptability is identified as one of the most desirable candidate traits employers seek, as it is the quality of being able to adjust and respond to new conditions.​- Michael R. Frazier, Mindfulness, Mindset, Moxie and Mojo

​Peak will help you identify what right looks like and then help you build a winning team around it. Your organization's initial hires (and next hires) can define your success- and your potential failure. Select Wisely. Peak's menu of solutions help you make intelligent and informed decisions, advance key players, build and most importantly sustain your workforce of tomorrow. Get your corporate culture set first, fast and moving towards results. Focus on Right Fit Talent-Right Now.